A
few months after his enlightenment the Buddha
founded an order or Sangha of
monks. The purpose of this order was twofold. Its primary
purpose was to provide a community that would give the
optimum opportunity for its members to practice the Dhamma
and attain Nirvana. Its secondary purpose was to transmit the
Dhamma and be a witness to its transforming power.

To
become a novice (samanera) all that is needed is
to approach a monk of at least 10 years standing and ask
to be accepted. After undertaking several years training
and being at least 20 years old the novice is qualified
to be a fully ordained monk. To do this he must approach
an assembly of 10 monks each of at least 10 years standing
who are respected for their virtue and learning. The candidate
is then asked 11 questions to determine his suitability.
(1) Are you free from disease? (2) Are you a human? (3)
Are you a male? (4) Are you a free man? (5) Are you free
from debt? (6) Do you have any obligations to the King?
(7) Do you have your parents permission? (8) Are you at
least 20 years of age (9) Do you have your robe and towel?
(10) What is your name? (11) What is your teachers name?
If the candidate answers these questions satisfactorily
and if no objections are raised by the assembly, he is
considered to be a fully ordained monk, (bhikku) A monk
can use property belonging jointly to the sangha but he
himself is supposed to own only eight things - three robes,
an alms bowl, a razor, needle and thread, belt, and a
strainer to purify drinking water. He is also obliged
to abide by the 227 rules contained in the Vinaya
Pitaka.

Since
the time of the Buddha monks have expanded their role
beyond that of the practitioner and teacher to become,
at different times and places, educators, artists, social
workers, scholars, physicians, and even rulers. In Tibet,
a line of monks called the Dalai Lama's, ruled the country
from the 16th to the middle of the 19th century. However
despite these expanded, sometimes even incongruous roles,
there have always been monks who have lived simple lives,
meditating, teaching and gently influencing the communities
around them.